Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate treatment and rates of emergency interventions for hyperkalaemia: a propensity-score weighted case-control study.

Background: Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) reduces serum potassium in patients with chronic hyperkalaemia in clinical trials, but its role in the emergency treatment of hyperkalaemia is unproven. We hypothesized that SZC use for emergent hyperkalaemia would be associated with a reduction in rates of emergency interventions for hyperkalaemia.

Methods: This was a single-centre, propensity score-weighted case-control study of patients admitted with hyperkalaemia to a specialist renal centre.

Dynamic measurement of gas flow using acoustic resonance tracking.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology measured gas flows exiting large, unthermostated, gas-filled, pressure vessels by tracking the time-dependent pressure P(t) and resonance frequency f(t) of an acoustic mode N of the gas remaining in each vessel. This is a proof-of-principle demonstration of a gas flow standard that uses P(t), f(t), and known values of the gas's speed of sound w(p,T) to determine a mode-weighted average temperature ⟨T⟩ of the gas remaining in a pressure vessel while the vessel acts as a calibrated source of gas flow. To track f(t) while flow work rapidly changed the gas's temperature, we sustained the gas's oscillations using positive feedback.

Seven suggestions for successful SGLT2i use in glomerular disease - a standalone CKD therapy?

Purpose Of Review: Recent advances in the world of glomerular diseases have largely focussed on remission induction with immune modulating therapy. It is well recognised that even with the best available treatments, patients with glomerular diseases may have an increased risk of progressive renal and cardiovascular disease.

Recent Findings: The arrival of large trials looking at the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes or not has shifted the entire focus of current management and the shift needs to go further.

Global longitudinal strain by feature-tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging predicts mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Background: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at increased risk of premature death, with cardiovascular disease being the predominant cause of death. We hypothesized that left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) measured by feature-tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) would be associated with all-cause mortality in patients with ESKD.

Methods: A pooled analysis of CMRI studies in patients with ESKD acquired within a single centre between 2002 and 2016 was carried out.

Myocardial changes on 3T cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in response to haemodialysis with fluid removal.

Background: Mapping of left ventricular (LV) native T1 is a promising non-invasive, non-contrast imaging biomarker. Native myocardial T1 times are prolonged in patients requiring dialysis, but there are concerns that the dialysis process and fluctuating fluid status may confound results in this population. We aimed to assess the changes in cardiac parameters on 3T cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) before and after haemodialysis, with a specific focus on native T1 mapping.

Will advances in functional renal magnetic resonance imaging translate to the nephrology clinic?

Characterizing structural and tissue abnormalities of the kidney is fundamental to understanding kidney disease. Functional multi-parametric renal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging strategy whereby several sequences are employed within a single session to quantify renal perfusion, tissue oxygenation, fibrosis, inflammation, and oedema without using ionizing radiation. In this review, we discuss evidence surrounding its use in several clinical settings including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, polycystic kidney disease and around renal transplantation.

Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Recent World Health Organization guidance has aimed to provide pragmatic guidance acknowledging the role of sequential nasopharyngeal swabs taken >24 hours apart for SARS-CoV-2 in high-risk populations. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are known to have an altered immune milieu which may be associated with a delay in viral clearance. Here, a cross-sectional observational study of 138 patients admitted with SARS-CoV-2 infection at two large regional hospitals in Scotland, UK examined the median time to two consecutive negative nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 in an inpatient population.

Comparing the interobserver reproducibility of different regions of interest on multi-parametric renal magnetic resonance imaging in healthy volunteers, patients with heart failure and renal transplant recipients.

Objective: To assess interobserver reproducibility of different regions of interest (ROIs) on multi-parametric renal MRI using commercially available software.

Materials And Methods: Healthy volunteers (HV), patients with heart failure (HF) and renal transplant recipients (Tx) were recruited. Localiser scans, T1 mapping and pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling (pCASL) were performed.

Consensus-based technical recommendations for clinical translation of renal T1 and T2 mapping MRI.

To develop technical recommendations on the acquisition and post-processing of renal longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation time mapping. A multidisciplinary panel consisting of 18 experts in the field of renal T1 and T2 mapping participated in a consensus project, which was initiated by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action PARENCHIMA CA16103. Consensus recommendations were formulated using a two-step modified Delphi method.

Obesity is not associated with progression to end stage renal disease in patients with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is associated with renal disease progression in unspecified CKD. The relationship between BMI and primary glomerular disease (GN) may be more complex. We aimed to evaluate the association between BMI and renal disease progression in patients with primary glomerular disease (GN).

Progress Towards a Gas-Flow Standard using Microwave and Acoustic Resonances.

We describe our progress in developing a novel gas flow standard that utilizes 1) microwave resonances to measure the volume, and 2) acoustic resonances to measure the average gas density of a collection tank / pressure vessel. The collection tank is a 1.85 m, nearly-spherical, steel vessel used at pressures up to 7 MPa.

Interaction between socioeconomic deprivation and likelihood of pre-emptive transplantation: influence of competing risks and referral characteristics - a retrospective study.

Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) influences likelihood of pre-emptive kidney transplantation (PET), but the mechanisms behind this are unclear. We explored the relationships between SED and patient characteristics at referral, which might explain this discrepancy. A retrospective cohort study was performed.

Non-Contrast Renal Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Perfusion and Corticomedullary Differentiation in Health and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Aims: Arterial spin labelling (ASL) MRI measures perfusion without administration of contrast agent. While ASL has been validated in animals and healthy volunteers (HVs), application to chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been limited. We investigated the utility of ASL MRI in patients with CKD.

Inter-study reproducibility of arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging for measurement of renal perfusion in healthy volunteers at 3 Tesla.

Background: Measurement of renal perfusion is a crucial part of measuring kidney function. Arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI) is a non-invasive method of measuring renal perfusion using magnetised blood as endogenous contrast. We studied the reproducibility of ASL MRI in normal volunteers.

Cardiovascular complications after transplantation: treatment options in solid organ recipients.

Premature cardiovascular disease is the commonest cause of death in solid organ transplant recipients, with coronary artery disease, sudden cardiac death and heart failure being highly prevalent. There are unique factors leading to CV disease in organ transplant recipients that include underlying comorbidities, and metabolic effects of immunosuppression. As a consequence management strategies developed in the general population may have limited benefit.

Direct measurements of mass-specific optical cross sections of single-component aerosol mixtures.

The optical properties of atmospheric aerosols vary widely, being dependent upon particle composition, morphology, and mixing state. This diversity and complexity of aerosols motivates measurement techniques that can discriminate and quantify a variety of single- and multicomponent aerosols that are both internally and externally mixed. Here, we present a new combination of techniques to directly measure the mass-specific extinction and absorption cross sections of laboratory-generated aerosols that are relevant to atmospheric studies.

Photoacoustic spectrometer with a calculable cell constant for measurements of gases and aerosols.

We benchmark the performance of a photoacoustic spectrometer with a calculable cell constant in applications related to climate change measurements. As presently implemented, this spectrometer has a detection limit of 3.1 × 10(-9) W cm(-1) Hz(-1/2) for absorption by a gas and 1.

Theory of the Greenspan viscometer.

We present a detailed acoustic model of the Greenspan acoustic viscometer, a practical instrument for accurately measuring the viscosity eta of gases. As conceived by Greenspan, the viscometer is a Helmholtz resonator composed of two chambers coupled by a duct of radius rd. In the lowest order, eta=pi f rho(rd/Q)2, where f and Q are the frequency and quality factor of the isolated Greenspan mode, and rho is the gas density.